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Feb. 16, 1932. W. L. McR g ErAL 1,845,432 DEVICE FOR VOLATILIZING 0RBURNING INCENSE, NEnIcANENTs, AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 23. 1929 15 IT 4I8 20 3 2"? 5 4. 21 5 ,1- 4 22 n 0 l4: J[||-] INVENTORJ faifer OGWZ EQZduff jredirz'ck F. Coafe A TTORNEYS Patented Feb. 16, 1932' UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE war/rm L. new AND FREDERICK 000KB, 0] EUCLIDVILLAGE, OHIO; SAD) C0083 ABSIGNOB '10 I. nnomvow, OI CLEVELAND, OHIODIVICI I'OB VOLA'I'EIZIHG OB BURNING LICENSE, HDICAIENTS, AND THE LmApplication fled September as, me. Serial 1;. seem.

This invention relates to devices for volatilizing or burning incense,medicinal substances, such as asthmatic inhalants, and other materialsadaptable to usage insimilar manner; and it is among the objects of theinvention to provide a construction which is convenient and readily adatable to various conditions of usage. Anot er ob'ect is the provision ofa heatin element w ich is eflicient and compact. A urther object is thePIOVI- sion of a controlling means for the heating element, renderingthe same automatic in usage. Other objects and advantages will appear asthe description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention,then, consists of the features hereinafter fully described,

' and particularly pointed out in the claims, the

followin description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detailcertain structure embodying the invention, such being illustrativehowever of but one of the various ways in which the principle of theinvention may be emplo ed.

Insai annexed drawin Fig. 1 is an isometric viewof an embodiment of theinvention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof,.on slightly argerscale; Fig. 3 is a similar fra entary section, showing the open orcharging position of the device; 1*" 4 is an inverse lan view showingthe un t ierneath construction of the top of the device; Fig. 5 is aplan view of a detail; and Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there 1s shown a casin 2,which may be of any convenient form an size, and which advanta eouslycarries electric contact elements a aptable to ready attachment to asuitable line connection. Such contacts may be of type as desired,prong-receiving or prong-projecting. Preferably, the contacts may takethe form of prongs 3 analogous to the standardized plug prongs and suchconstruction is then capable of being directly inserted into a portableplug connection or where a convenient outlet is available in the wall,the prongs 3 may be directly plugged therein, thus serving not only toprovide the electric contact but to support the device as well. Theprongs 3 are' mounted on suitable insulation blocks 4 secured to thecasing, and binding posts or screws 5 afford means for attaching theinterior connecting wires.

Mounted within the casing, and preferably also within a refractoryhousing or tube 6 is a heating element 7. Such heating element mayadvantageously be of the resistance ty comprising a coil of resistancewirecapa le of enduring the necessary temperature conditions, anddesirably in the form of a grating or spiral or any convenient sha esuch that material charged thereonto may e supported while beingconsumed. The refractory tube 6 may be supported in any convenientmanner, for instance by a bracket 8 extending from the wall of the casinUnderneath, a' slide or small tray 9, with andle 10, may be arranged onrunways of desired extent, such that any ash dropping down from theheating or incinerating element may collect for convenient removal.

Preferably, the top of the casing is provided with a closure capable ofeasy manipulation for charging. In the form illustrated, this comprisesa door or lid 11 with openings 12. ir access openings 13 are alsoprovided in the lower part of the casing, for instance in the slide 9. Aspring a may be applied such as to normally maintain the lid in closedposition.

As a current control we may employ a switch of any suitable form,mounted on the casing or separate, so as to enable the operator to applythe current to the heatin element as and when required. Instead of suchhand-operated switch, where desired the charging-closure or lid may alsobe employed to operate the switch to connect the heating element incircuit. As one advantageous arrangement for this, the lid beingpivotally mounted or hinged as at 14 may have an extension 15 projectingdown therebelow, and such extension may carry a contact arm 16 which maybe in circuit by a wire connection 17 from the binding post 5. Mountedon the under side of the top of the casing is ,a stationary contact 18having a resilient fingerprojection in the path of the movable contactarm 16 when the latter is carried forwardly by raising the lid, thealignment being such that the end 19 of the contact arm 16 will engagethe stationary arm 18 when in the open or charging position. If desired,a post 20, conveniently in the form of an adetween contacts 18 and 19,such that the contact 19 on swinging forwardly may just strike againstmore or less of the post 20 andwith the yielding of the slightlyresilient arm 16 in the further movement of the lid, be slightlyretarded until it slips past the ppst 20 with a snap and engages thecontact 18.

eversely, as the lid is closed, the post 20 again serves to retard andhold the contact 19 against stationary contact 18 until the lid has beenturned down further than would otherwise have been the case. With suchadjustment, the timing of the contact may be set closely within suchlimits as may be desired. The contact 18 may be mounted on an insulatingblock in anydesired manner.

Under most usages, the heating element 7 need not exceeda few turns ofwire, and if the current supply is of a voltage to exceed therequirements for such, a ballasting resistance, for instance in the formof a windin 21 may be conveniently disposed on the re ractory tube 6,such resistance being in series with the heating coil 7 and serving tocut down the current to the heater requirements. Of course, where largecapacity installations are involved, such ballasting may be omitted.With a connecting wire 22 on the binding post of the prong, the circuitthrough the ballast and heating coil is completed.

In use, a mass of the material to be volatilized or burned is chargedinto the device by opening the lid 11. The material drops upon theheating element 7, which has been quickly raised to red heat by the flowof the current, the contact 19 having been swung by the lid intoengagement with the stationary contact 18, allowing the current to flowfrom the binding post of one of the prongs 3 to the connecting wire 17and the contacts 19, 18, to the heating element, and ballast resistanceif such be employed, the circuit being completed by wire 22 to the otherbinding post and prong. With a suitably proportioned heater element, thetime interval occasioned by the movement of the lid 11 and theincidental I lag provided by the switching mechanism in conjunctiontherewith, suflices to heat the element to a temperature requisite toconsume the material charged. The current being cutoff by the breakingof the contact on closure of the lid, only such current drain as isactually required has to be reckoned with, and the device iscorrespondingly exceedingly economical.

It will thus be seen that a device readily portable and convenient ofusage under various circumstances encountered, is had, and

justable screw, may be interposed at a point whether employed forperfuming and deodorizing, or for asthmatic inhalants, or insectrepellent usage, the device may be inserted into any available plug,either portable or in the nature 015 a fixed convenience outlet. Thecurrent requirements, as noted, can be held at the minimum requisite toconsume the material operated upon, and thus the device is inexpensivein maintenance.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed,change being made as regards the details described, provided the meansstated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such, beemployed.

We therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as ourinvent1on:

1. In a device of the character described, a casing, an electric heatingelement and material-receiving member therein, and contacts carried bythe casing for co-acting with a wall fixture to support said casing andalso provide the service connection for the circuit of said heatingelement.

2. In a device of the character described, a casing, an electric heatingelement, a refractory housin thereabout and presenting an air-inletopening below, a closure over said heating element, and a switchactuated by movement of said closure.

3. In a device of the character described, a casing, an electric heatingelement, a closure affording access to said heating element, a switchcontrolling the current to said heating element, and regulable means forretarding the operation of said switch.

4. In a device of the character described, a casing, an electric heatingelement, a closure aifording access to said element, a contact carriedby said closure and adapted to en- 105 gage a fixed contact in circuitwith said heat ing element, means for retarding the engagement anddisengagement of the movable contact with the fixed contact and meansfor regulating the amount of retardation.

5. In a device of the character described, a casing, an electric heatingelement in the form of a grating, a closure affording access to saidheating element, prongs projecting from said casing, and an automaticswitch actuated by said closure for connecting the heating element incircuit with the prongs.

6. In a device of the character described, a casing, an electric heatingelement, a refractory housing thereabout, and a ballasting resistance onsaid housing and in circuit with said heating element.

7 In a device of the character described, a casing, an electric heatingelement, a re- 125 fractory housing thereabout, a lid affording accessto said heating element, prongs projecting from said casing, a contactmovable with said lid and adapted to engage a fixed contact in circuitwith said heating element, 130

and a ballasting resistance on said refractory I housing.

8. In a device of the character described, a casin ,an electric heatingelement in the form 0 a spiral gratin a refractory tube thereabout, acharging 1d afi'ording access to said heating element, a removable ashtray therebeneath, plug-in prongs projecting from said casing, a contactniovable' with said lid to engage a fixed contact, andsa ballastingresistance in series with said heating element.

9. In a device of the character described, a casing, a heating elementin the form of a spiral grating, a'refractory tube thereabout, acharging lid afi'ordin access to said heating element, a remova le "ashtray therebeneath, plug-in prongs projecting from the back of saidcasing, acontact arm movable 'with said lid and adapted to engage afixed contact in series with said heating element, an adjustable post inthe path of said movable contact adapted to retard the engagement anddisengagement thereof with the fixed contact, and a ballastingresistance on said refractory tube in series with said heating elementand said contacts and prongs.

Signed by us this 21st day of September,

WALTER L. McRAE. a FREDERICK'R. COOKE.

